Bishop fought his way back to consciousness, aware at first of anger, and then pain. He forced a slab of wall off himself and pushed his way through a pile of debris, cataloging injuries (negligible), circumstances (impossible to tell due to limited visibility), and courses of action (more data necessary). At last he emerged from the shattered stone and steel and took a look at what had become of his lab after the explosion, cursing the turtles.
Somehow, without his noticing, those mutant freaks had managed to lay a significant set of charges all along one of the walls of the warehouse, not to mention beneath his very lab itself. The building looked as though it had been torn in half, one end open and gaping to the sky. Debris was everywhere, and anything that was not crushed or crumbling was on fire. Turning, his stomach churning in fury, Bishop looked to where his remaining clones had been in reserve in their holding containers and scowled darkly. The containers, those that weren't buried under wall and ceiling, were burning. He could hear the almost pitiful shrieks of the clones as they died, unable to escape.
"Shell, Donnie, when you throw a party, you really go all out, don't ya?"
Bishop turned to the voice, spotting the four terrapins somewhere between himself and the fallen-in wall. They looked relatively unharmed, though Michelangelo had obviously been hit by some falling piece of rock from the way a trickle of blood stood out in the ruddy light as it slid down his cheek. The agent felt rage and quickly quashed it. He was alive, and even if his work and most of his records were destroyed, not all was lost. Donatello still held his best sample, and there was always HEAT.
"I must say," he said, pulling himself to his feet and allowing a confident smirk to cross his features, "I am impressed. I did not expect such severity in your actions."
"Bishop!" Raphael snarled, drawing a sai and crouching. "How'd you crawl out from under that stuff?"
"And can you go back there and stay until, I dunno, forever?" Michelangelo added, grinning darkly.
"Not when there is still work to be done," Bishop said. He began to make his way towards the turtles, who, to their credit, wasted no words in preparing to engage him.
But before he could even get quite close enough to strike, a roar shook the very walls and a few more pieces of wall and ceiling tumbled down.
"You didn't think you could finish this game without inviting us, did you?" a voice called.
The turtles and Bishop all turned to see the five members of HEAT standing just outside the ruins of the building. And rising up behind them like a mountain from the sea, Godzilla stood, his nose quivering and his tail waving. The giant lizard bellowed again.
"Nick! What are you doing here?" Donatello demanded, calling to the man who led the way.
"I told you already. We're not just going to sit back and let you do this," he replied. "This is our fight, too, Don."
"It's too dangerous," Leo shouted, keeping a wary eye on Bishop but turning more attention to the HEAT members. "We'll handle this."
"We already let you blow up NIGEL," Mendel pouted. "You owe us at least a part of this."
"Bishop's our fight!" Raph snarled.
"You are incorrect. This man has endangered our team as well. He will answer for his actions," Monique met the turtles' glowers head-on.
"Besides, we've got this neat new trick we taught Godzilla to show you!" Randy rocked on his heels, for all the world cheerful and relaxed, but those who knew him better could see a line of tension in the hacker.
"Much as I'd like to stay around for this debate," Bishop said, realizing his chance had come, "I've got better things to do." The agent whipped out his phone, gratified to note it was still intact, and hit the button on the side that called for an immediate extraction. Then, intent to preserve at least a part of his experiment, he launched himself forward, heading straight for Donatello.
"Let's go!" Leo called, signaling his brothers forward.
Simultaneously, Elsie pulled a whistle out of her pocket and sounded it. Godzilla jerked at the sound, then stomped forward, ducking to fit into the newly-blasted hole in the warehouse's side. He roared again, bringing still more debris down on the five inside, including a significant beam that crashed onto his own head. The lizard bellowed in surprise and pain. He shook his enormous head and snarled.
Bishop and the turtles stared at the creature that now loomed practically right above them, seeing its eyes cloud in temper and discomfort. They were frozen, watching Godzilla look at the building in ire, and then he lashed out, roaring.
"Godzilla, no!"
"Godzilla, stop!"
"No, you can't!"
"Godzilla!"
"Look out!"
The voices of HEAT shouting were lost as Godzilla reacted instinctively, tearing at the building and slashing his tail against the fires that burned too close. Their position becoming precarious, the turtles fled to one side, vaguely aware of Bishop following in their wake.
"He's gonna bring the whole place down!" Raph called. "Do something!"
"We cannot!" Monique shouted back. "He's too uncontrollable!"
"Don!" Leo yelled. "Your device! You've gotta use it to stop him!"
"But…" the purple-banded turtle hesitated, his admiration for Godzilla clear in his face.
The moment of hesitation was their undoing. Bishop found a remaining tranquilizer gun not far from the slight shelter he'd taken and hefted it, aiming to hit the lizard someplace sensitive and hopefully bring him down before the creature brought down the building around them all. The shot was true and Godzilla roared in wordless rage. He turned his attention to the human and turtles cowering under a half-collapsed metal sheet.
"Look out!"
Raphael was moving before the warning cry from Elsie had even made it to them. As Godzilla's back flared in warning, the angriest turtle hurtled forward, pushing his brothers out of harm's way and down behind a thick pile of fallen concrete. But he was not quick enough to take firm cover himself. As the green flames burst in his direction, Raph did the only thing he could think of – he curled into a ball behind a sheet of metal. The blast hit the metal hard enough to send it, and the turtle it sheltered, flying across half the remains of the warehouse. The metal was nearly molten as it crashed into a wall, and Raph fell soundlessly, not moving.
"Raph!" Mikey cried out in terror.
Donatello, already running towards his fallen brother, pulled out the sonic disruptor and hit the button, setting up the familiar keening in the air. He jerked at the sudden pain as the clone in his own brain reacted to the sound, but he didn't stop moving until he was beside Raphael's still form.
Meanwhile, Godzilla flinched badly against the sound, scratching at his head with his claws as the noise bit into his mind. He cried out, spitting fire in every direction, but thankfully none of them came too near everyone else still in the warehouse. After a few moments, Godzilla turned and fled into the sea, only just managing not to stomp on HEAT on his way out.
"Is he okay?" Leo demanded, taking the momentary lull to grab Mikey and pull his youngest brother to where the resident medic crouched over Raph's form.
"It's not good," Don said softly, words echoing with a life of their own in the space. "We've got to get him out of here. I'm not sure if…" and he turned away.
"Pity," Bishop commented, picking his way through the ruins for anything worth retrieving. His helicopter would arrive in a few moments, but he could enjoy himself until then. "I suppose this round goes to you, nice team that you are." There was mockery in his tone, and Leo's eyes snapped.
"Team? Not after this! You!" he unsheathed a katana and stalked towards where the members of HEAT stood in wide-eyed silence before visibly bringing himself back under control. "We trusted you! We trusted that you could control Godzilla! But we should have known that nobody can control that thing!"
"Leo!" Mikey admonished. "It wasn't their fault!"
"No, it was mine for ever trusting them in the first place," he spat.
"Leo, you know we didn't…" Nick began.
"Save it!" he shouted. "Godzilla hurt Raph badly, Nick. Your pet mutant, on your orders. I can't forgive that, not ever. If he dies…" for a moment his eyes dimmed and he turned away.
"Guys, it wasn't supposed to happen like this," Mendel called hesitantly. "We were just trying to help."
"You weren't even supposed to be in here!" Don shouted back, and the gentlest turtle's voice was tinged with pain even as he was rapidly pulling a roll of gauze out of his ever-present bag and wrapping it around his brother's head, shielding him from the burning wreckage nearby. "If you'd stuck to the plan we wouldn't be in this mess!"
"Dudes, calm down," Mikey begged.
"No!" Leo's voice snapped with absolute sharpness. "We never should have trusted you. You're just like him," and he jabbed a katana in Bishop's direction, who was watching the whole exchange with open amusement. "You just use mutants and experiment on us. You think you're trying to help, but somebody always gets hurt!"
"Leo, please," and there was real pleading in Elsie's voice.
"You have harmed my brothers enough, first Don with all your poking and prodding and now Raph. Godzilla can't be trusted and neither can you. We're done."
"You don't mean that!" Nick shouted. "You still need our help to fix the thing Bishop put in Don's head!"
"We'll handle it," Leo returned, the fire in his eyes uncannily like one of Raph's most common expressions. "We don't need you for that."
"You could always turn him over to me," Bishop offered smugly.
"Shut up!" Mikey yelled now. "You aren't ever going to get Don again!"
"And neither will you," Leo added, pointing a katana at HEAT again. "On my honor I swear that there is a debt unpaid between us for what you have done to my brother. If we ever see you again," and his voice dropped menacingly, "we will owe you dearly for this. And if he doesn't make it…" he trailed off.
"Leo!" Don was aghast.
"No. It's over. I've sworn it and that's all there is to it," the eldest turtle turned his back on HEAT and stalked over to where Don cradled Raph, now injecting something into an unmoving arm. "They got Raph hurt. They trusted Godzilla too much. I can't let you keep trusting them. I've given my word of honor that we will pay the debt we owe to them for this," and he gestured at the still turtle whose breathing was ominously slow. "Will you really defy me?"
Their gazes met for a few very tense seconds, but it was Don who dropped his eyes first.
"No, Leo. On my honor, I'll follow what you've sworn for us." He looked up at HEAT, and his face was torn with sadness. "I'm sorry."
"If your gratitude is measured in vengeance, I am sure we don't need it," Monique snapped, her own eyes sharp and angry. She looked a moment away from engaging Leonardo that minute and solving the issue of unpaid debts, but for Nick's restraining hand on her shoulder.
"For what it's worth, we're sorry, too."
"Don't be," Leo snapped. "Your concern is as worthless as his now." He gestured to Bishop who was still smirking.
"Nice to know I've got company in your list of undying feuds," he commented blithely. "But my ride has arrived and it's time to end this little drama. See you next time!" The helicopter overhead stirred up dust and debris until everyone not wearing battle-goggles had to cover their eyes. Bishop raced the last few yards to the outside, angling away from HEAT and catching the waiting ladder that hung from the chopper. Within moments he was being airlifted elsewhere.
"Leo…" Mikey began, putting a hand on the turtle's shaking shoulder. "Wasn't that a little extreme?"
"No, I don't think so. It was too little, too late." He looked back at HEAT, his own fury not undimmed even a little. "As thanks for the good from before, we'll let you go this time, since you did help us for a while. But if we ever see you again, it's blood between us."
"Don…" Nick said hesitantly. He started to move forward, but Michelangelo actually intercepted him.
"Don't. He gave his word to Leo. He can't." Then he gulped. "Neither should I."
"Don, I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything," Nick said, his voice low. "I don't really understand how your code of honor works, but if there's ever any way we can be friends again…"
"There isn't," and Donatello's voice was heavy. "Leo's decided and it's my job to abide by it. Please, just let it go."
"Can't we even help you get Raph out of here?" Elsie wanted to know.
"Don't you touch him." Leonardo's rage was back. "We'll handle this. And pray he lives," he added, "or we'll be coming looking for you."
And a moment later, the three remaining turtles showed exactly how fast, strong, and silent they could be. Almost without a word, they shifted until they held Raph between them, jumped into the shadows cast by the collapsing building, and vanished.
HEAT stared at the spot for a few stunned moments before Randy at last turned to the others.
"So, what now? We just let them go? Do they really mean we can't be friends anymore?"
"Yes," Monique spat. "In their foolish anger they have sworn an oath, and though it is regrettable, it cannot be undone. Leonardo must mean his words or lose his honor, and he cannot do that. This is final, no matter our feelings on it. And good riddance. We need no such disloyal friends," she sneered.
"Monique," Elsie said warningly.
"No," Nick sighed. "She's right. We've got enough problems without the turtles. Don was a good guy, but if he's bound to it now, too, we'll just make them more angry if we try to keep up contact. We can't let ourselves remain allies anymore. And if Raph doesn't make it, we'll be enemies forever. We've got to let them go."
"Isn't there anything we can do to balance the scales?" Mendel wanted to know.
"Or at least get Bishop back for all this?" Randy waved his arms around, taking in the building as well as the losses and hurts they'd suffered so far. "Come on, jefe. Can't we get him back at all?"
"I'd rather not take the fight to him any time soon," Nick said measuredly, "but maybe we can finish what the turtles started here tonight." He pulled out a whistle of his own and blew it hard. A few moments later, Godzilla appeared, roaring. It took a little doing, but eventually the goal got through to the giant lizard and Godzilla thoroughly and completely demolished the warehouse until it was absolutely annihilated under his rage and power. Not one test tube, not one computer bank, not even a tranq gun survived the onslaught.
"Thanks, big guy," Nick said softly. Godzilla ignored him and went back to the soothing water, cool after the fire of the warehouse.
"Come on," Elsie added, a hand on Nick's shoulder. "Let's get out of here."
Nick couldn't help but look back at the broken warehouse sadly, thinking of what else lay broken in its remains, but he followed the urging of his team and turned away.
-==OOO==-
Bishop turned off the feed as HEAT vacated the area, finishing his report.
"It is unfortunate that the turtles have chosen to turn on this set of human allies. Though it further proves their danger to the human race in threatening a group allied with our own military, it also eliminates a potential weakness I could have exploited if needed. I have also lost this project in total except for the single clone in Donatello's brain, which, I have no doubt, will either kill him or he will find a way to remove. Nonetheless, certain useful conclusions come from this project.
"First and foremost, Godzilla is not a suitable base for my experiments. Even mixed with Donatello's mutation, he is unstable at best, difficult to control, and suffers from an easily-exploited weakness to certain auditory frequencies. If the turtles could find a way to shut down the clones so easily, so might an extraterrestrial threat. Godzilla is better left to the regular and useless military to handle.
"Second, HEAT, though rather brilliant in their own right, are not truly a threat to me and my work. They are content to focus upon mutations, and their combat skills, with the exception of that one woman, are not significant enough to warrant classification. If they had better control over Godzilla it would be a different matter, but as Godzilla will always be a loose cannon, they will have their hands full keeping him from destroying the city and dealing with other mutations. I'm closing the folder on HEAT and Godzilla at this point – neither are worth pursuing further.
"Finally, the turtles continue to be an intriguing and worthy goal for further study. If Raphael survives this encounter, they will be weakened for some time, perhaps providing an opportunity to reacquire them at a later date. If he does not, they will be significantly weakened permanently. My interest in Donatello remains strong, as he is still unique among the four of them, but I believe understanding their mutation more fully would be of value before I attempt to further graft their DNA into other subjects. This project will remain open as usual at this time."